Keep Safe
by Grey Wolf of Xanthus
Summary: The bond of the fellowship wears even thinner and Arwen worries over her lover's save return


Keep Safe

Dedicated to: Michiru, I always do what I say I'm gonna do and I promised you a Arwen/Aragorn Fanfic.

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR but I'm working on cloning my own Legolas with a friend of off a mailing list. Legolas will be mine!!

Note: This takes place just after the movie. Friction is building among the remaining fellowship and Aragorn's heart aches for his elven maiden, just as Arwen's heart aches for her human love's safe return.  This actually works very nicely as a prequel to my last LOTR story, Aniron. It is on the trend of 'looking up at the night sky and thinking of your love'. It's fun writing with these two even if I don't get the characters right because they are so sweet together.  

Oh and what is this I hear about me not liking Legolas??? Sure I drooled over Aragorn but I still love my elf, I sat thru the movie repeating "Don't let the elf die, don't let the ranger die, don't let the elf die, don't let the ranger die" okay?? I love them both equally even if as a rule I don't like blonds but in Legolas (And Draco Malfoy)'s case there is an exception okay?? Got that?? Good.

* * *

The night was quiet as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli made their way thru the forest. It was not hard it follow the orgs' trail, not with all the broken braches and footprints. By the tracks Aragorn determined that they where about a  day behind and that it was save to make camp for the night.

As they got out their blankets none of them spoke, in fact none of them had spoken since they had set off to rescue Pippin and Merry. The dwarf Gimli seemed to be in particularly foul mood and Legolas looked very heavily grieved. It was understandable of course but Aragorn couldn't share in their grieve over the loss of their comrade and friend, Boromir (a/n: thank goodness for Lotr special edition book, for the live of me I couldn't remember his name). His heart was troubled with another, his beautiful elven maiden, Arwen.

Sick of the silence, the general dark mood that had befallen them and missing his home in Mirkwood, Legolas pulls a flute out of his tunic and brings it to his pale elven lips and begins playing an old elven song.

This did not fit well with the dwarf for he jumps to his feet and in a thunderous voice yells: "Put away that noisy thing! Do you want to attract orgs?" Legolas so stunned by the dwarf's actions drops his flute immediately, but Aragorn, who found the music quit pleasing, for it reminded him of Arwen, picks up the flute and hands it back to Legolas. 

"Let the boy play if he wants." He says even though he was almost sure that Legolas was centuries older than he was. At this the dwarf looks even madder, if such a thing could be possible. He glares at Aragorn for a moment and then at Legolas who sat with the flute clenched to his chest as if he feared that Gimli would brake it. "It's alright, I don't have to play if it upsets anyone, I was just homesick..." 

"Maybe ye should play, so that Aragorn can think of his maiden fair." Gimli says. He was looking for a fight, his anger driving him on. Aragorn rises to his feet and glares down at the dwarf. "So that if Legolas's flute let's me think of Arwen? I have a right to, don't I?"  This is what Gimli had wanted to hear and he smirked. "She is all you think about! You never think of anyone else! Not Gandalf and not Boromir. That elf has bewitched your mind."

Without saying a word Aragorn spins on his heals and heads into the forest. Legolas runs in a short way after him and then calls out "Aragorn come back!" but Aragorn paid him no attention and continued on his way back to the river. 

"Let him go, we don't need an elf lover." At this Legolas turned around. If he had not been an elf, and a prince at that, he would have kicked the dwarf. "Have you forgotten that I am an elf? What has gotten into you?" But Legolas didn't wait for an answer because he spun around again and headed into the forest to find his friend.

* * *

Away from all this Arwen stood on a balcony out looking the garden. She didn't see the garden below for her eyes where transfixed on the heavens. She felt desperately afraid for Aragorn's safety and feared that something might have happened to him for it was not an easy quest and danger lurked everywhere.

She was startled by a hand on her shoulder and turns to find Elrond behind her. "Hoping for our heroes' safe return? Or just star gazing?" He asks simply. He takes a place next to her and they stare up at the stars in silence. That silence is broken by Arwen who can't bear to face her worries alone anymore.

"Elrond, do you think that Aragorn will return safely?" She bites her lower lip worried as she looks at him but he give her a little smile to reassure her. "He will be fine, he has a lady waiting for him, has he not? And he knows that. He will do his best because that is all he can do, and no more. He is a great man, maybe even the best among them all. Have faith in him, but if it will lead your heart to rest why don't you ask the stars to keep watch over him and keep him save." And with these words Elrond departs.

Arwen's eyes fix again on the stars above her. She thinks on Elrond's words and then she whispers to he stars. "Keep him safe."

* * *

Legolas found Aragorn down by the river looking up at the night sky. He made his approach known but Aragorn didn't seem to care. When Legolas was just a few feet away he stopped and regarded Aragorn silently.

"Do you want to yell at me now?" Aragorn asks as he leans against a tree and looks at Legolas. "No, I wanted to say that you have every right to think of Arwen, the Dwarf is a fool." This seemed funny to Aragorn for he started laughing. "You only realize this now?" He asks when his laugher dies down. "Have you ever been in love Legolas?" at the question the elf's ears seem to turn pink and he shakes his head. 

"Really? Never? Oh to describe it. Writers have tried for years and still they don't seem to grasp the aching longing of the heart, the mind filling memories of your loved one, the fear for her safety above all.  I don't expect you to understand now, but someday you will."

"I hope so." Legolas answers for lack of something better to say. He was glad that Aragorn was sharing his feelings with him but he was also worried about leaving Gimli alone, the woods are a dangerous place at night and it is very unwise to leave someone alone in them. "shall we go back to camp? I fear for Gimli's safety." 

Aragorn turns from Legolas "In a minute." He stares up at the night sky, in the direction of Rivendell and mutters so that even Legolas's sensitive ears can't pick up his words. "Keep safe, my lady, keep safe." And with that said, he turns around and follows Legolas back to the campsite, his mind on the task at hand, to save Merry and Pippin from the  orgs and to return safely to his lady's side.

The end.


End file.
